Silkspun Dreams
by Yukina-Raven
Summary: A collection of various EdxWinry stories from the past, to the present, to the future.
1. cherries

**Silkspun Dreams I**

cherries

It was one of those hot summer afternoons where the sun beat relentlessly on the earth and the breeze refused to stir even a little. Even the bugs were too lazy from the heat to buzz persistently in the ears of those who dared to venture outside. However even though the air was unbearably hot, the shade was still fairly comfortable. Thus those brave souls who decided to go outside could usually be found underneath a tree or in the shadow of a house. There was a huge tree near the Rockbell house. It was an old oak tree that had been planted when Pinako was still a young woman. Now it was a monstrous thing with twisting branches dotted with thick green leaves healthy even with the summer's drought. Sunlight could barley pierce through these leaves, thus underneath the giant tree was mostly shadow with he occasional patch of light. It was truly a heaven on earth during these hot days and today Winry and Ed had it all to themselves.

Edward had trashed Winry's precious automail yet again, but for a change it wasn't his arm, but his leg. She was baffled in how he did it (and was too afraid to ask) but he had somehow managed to bend the leg at an odd and very wrong angle. Thus he arrived at Winry's house in excruciating pain and once Winry removed the leg and took it apart she discovered why: the wires connected to his nerves had been twisted around each other. It hadn't taken long to fix it, only a couple of hours and it only took _that_ long because the heat made it hard to concentrate. She had reattached it when finished and cared for Ed through the fever and pain that was accustome to automail. However when she returned after refilling the bowl of cool water, she found him on gone. Worried, she searched the house for him and found out from Al that he had slipped outside.

"Is he crazy!" Winry had exclaimed upon hearing this, tossing the bowl of water across the room where it landed on Den, startling the poor dog to death. "He shouldn't be in this heat with a fever!"

"He said he was fine. He has stuff on his mind," Al had replied absently. "He's worried."

Well, this had certainly done nothing to ease Winry's worry, especially when Al refused to elaborate. Thus she had ventured into the heat in as little clothing as possible (while still maintaining modesty) and found Ed underneath the giant oak tree, lounging on his back in nothing but his blue boxers and a white undershirt with arms bent behind his head. Next to him was a pile of plump red cherries piled neatly on a checkered cloth. The cherries had been stolen from the nearby cherry tree and the cloth had been taken from Winry's kitchen. She sat down near him without a word, knees coming to her chest and leaning back on her hands.

And then there was nothing but silence, save for the occasional sputtering lawnmower or laughing child splashing in the river. Ed eventually sat up to snatch a cherry from the pile and ate it, eyes lazily scanning the rolling hills in the distances. But as lazy as they seemed, there was a distant gaze hidden within their golden depths. She hated that look. It was always so sad and so lonely. And it always meant he was contemplating something dangerous that would make him leave her once again... She reached over and took a cherry for herself, eating it slowly to savor the taste. She then twirled the small stem in her hand, now sitting back to back with Ed.

"Do you know what they say about cherry stems?" Winry suddenly said, startling herself.

Ed blinked and glanced over his shoulder at her curiously.

"What?"

Winry smiled and held up the stem in her fingers, continuing to twirl it.

"You mean you don't remember? Nelly told us about it when we were all kids."

"I don't remember," Ed replied, shrugging as he took another cherry before turning away.

Lazily he leaned his back against Winry's, causing her to shift a bit in surprise. He played with the sweet food in his fingers before dangling it ridiculously height above his face and dropping it onto his outstretched tongue. Winry blushed for reasons unknown and quickly stuffed another cherry in her mouth to distract her as Ed played with his own cherry stem.

"Are you going to tell me or what?" Ed asked, sounding uninterested but deciding to humor her.

Winry hurried to finish her cherry before answering. "If you can tie a cherry stem into a knot with your tongue quickly then it means your a good kisser."

There was a pause as Ed seemed to process this information. He then suddenly chuckled and swiped another cherry from the rapidly decreasing pile.

"Is that so?" He said.

Winry nodded, suddenly feeling very embarrassed and childish. It had been funny when they were little merely because they had no idea what it really meant as they tried to tie stems with their tongues to see who was faster, laughing helplessly when neither of the trio could successfully do it. But now at age sixteen it was obvious what the whole thing really meant. Still Winry wondered what had possessed her to say such a stupid thing.

"I'd rather find out the old fashion way," Ed was saying when Winry returned to reality.

"Huh?"

"If you want to find out if someone's a good kisser, kiss them."

Winry blushed again. That was Ed for you. He truly had a scientific mind, always thinking logically instead of focusing on the whimsical and occasionally unexplained of something. Everything had to be black or white to him; right or wrong. It was hard to connect with a mind like that, yet anyone who knew them both swore Winry had done it. She honestly couldn't see it.

"I suppose that's one way, but it's a little personal, don't you think?" Winry chuckled, eyes never leaving the twirling stem in her fingers.

"Not if it's someone you've known for a long time," Ed shot back.

Winry felt her heart oddly begin to race and her face felt hot (somehow she could tell). Why was she reacting this way to such simple words?

"Try it," Winry urged, poking Ed's back.

And then everything happened so fast. Suddenly he had turned to face her, cupping his flesh hand on her cheek and bringing her face to meet with his. Their lips touched in a light kiss that set Winry's body on fire. Instantly his lips met hers again in a more Hollywood-esque kiss that Winry feverishly returned. Suddenly she could not get enough of his taste and surprised herself when she dared to do more, teasing his lips with her tongue and moaning quietly when he allowed her entry. And she truly didn't want to part from the kiss but her lungs screamed for air and she had to reluctantly oblige, breaking away from his lips and panting for air.

"I meant try the stem," Winry muttered breathlessly, finding that her hands had somehow become tangled in his hair.

"I know," Ed replied with a smirk.

His lips twisting into that devilish smirk of his made her want to kiss him again. So she did and he met her hungrily. And thus it continued like that for most of the afternoon, the two sitting in the shade of the tree, kissing away without a single regard for the world (or for poor Al who had come out to find them only to quickly flee in embarrassment) Suddenly nothing else matter to them but the other. Not the heat nor the excess heat they were causing from being so close for so long. Eventually Ed settled his head into her lap and closed his eyes in bliss as Winry ran gentle fingers through his hair, occasionally leaning down to steal a kiss from his sweet lips.

They sat there together like that long after the sun had set and the cool chill of night crept over them.


	2. always cold

**Silkspun Dreams II**

always cold

He never touched her with his automail hand. It was almost as if he was afraid to and he often went out of his way to avoid even brushing her with the cold fingers. Winry wasn't sure whether this was an insult or not. She was sure the reason for Ed's behavior had nothing to do with her or her work for him. Rather it was one of those demons in his head that haunted him. She had discovered that, regardless of what he said, they appeared in his waking world as well. So was it a demon filling his head with nonsense that made him avoid her skin with his fake hand?

She had first noticed it when she had asked Ed to pass her some tool placed near his right hand. He had hesitated for a moment before reaching across with his left hand to get it. At first Winry had thought herself stupid for reading so much into it. But as time went on, small things like that continued to happen again and again. In every insistence where there may be possible skin contact with her, he used his left hand. Thinking back, Winry realized it had been this way ever since he had gotten his automail, but she was only noticing now. Maybe it was habit. After all, when he was at her house he was usually without his automail arm. However Ed seemed to have no problem touching Al with his right hand. Den, Pinako and even complete strangers were offered the metal hand whether it was for a hand shake, a pat on the back or something as simple as passing the salt.

It bothered Winry and she didn't really understand why. She didn't understand why he refused to so much as brush by her with the automail arm either. That is, she didn't understand until that night.

It had been a terrible stormy night complete with lightning, thunder and a torrential downpour. Winry had always hated thunderstorms as a little kid and that fear hadn't died has she grew. When she was little she would usually crawl into bed with her parents and then with Pinako. However her comfort switched from her grandma to her childhood friend after both boys began to live with them after the death of their mother. Although now, at fifteen, she could only comfort herself since crawling into bed with anyone at this age was unacceptable. This usually resulted in her dragging a half asleep Den into her room so that she could cuddle close to him. But tonight was different. The storm was worse and now she had the rarity of knowing the one who truly gave her comfort was in the next room...alone. (For a reason Ed wouldn't tell her, Al had not come) And this was too good to pass up.

As a young kid it had meant nothing. It was cute to see the three all crammed onto one bed, sound asleep in the comfort of each other. Such was child innocence. But now the idea wasn't so innocent, which made Winry blush as she crept toward the room Ed was in. She had no bad thoughts (okay, maybe a few) but the whole concept was... suspicious.

_I won't sleep,_ Winry told herself firmly. _I just... want to be near him. Just for a little while, then I'll leave._

She nodded to no one before easing the door open slightly. Peering in, she was greeted by darkness. However she could hear and there were soft moans of pain coming from the room's single occupant. The sound of Ed's tossing and turning could also be clearly heard, even with the hard rain on the rood and the loud cracks of thunder. Instantly worried, Winry hurried into the room. She wasn't sure what she planned to do and she would never know because Ed suddenly sat bolt upright, letting out a strangled cry. His sudden awakening made Winry freeze in the center of the room. Although she couldn't see him well, his silhouette was enough. She watched as Ed abruptly fell back onto the bed and rolled onto his right side, flesh hand clutching his metal arm so tightly his knuckles were white. His face was twisted into extreme pain, but Winry couldn't see that.

Winry stared at him, face softening as she slowly came out of her surprise. Without a second thought she moved forward, dropping to her knees beside Edward's bed. She reached her hands out and placed them gently upon the ice cold metal of his right arm. Instantly he flinched and jerked away from her, sitting up quickly. Winry's eyes followed him as he rubbed his eyes.

"W-Winry...what are you doing in my room?" He muttered, clearly still half asleep.

Winry did not reply. Instead she reached for the small lamp on the night stand beside her, flipping it on. She couldn't help but blush at him, sitting up with the sheets bunched up around his waist and muscular chest bare. His blonde hair was down and a tangled mess, strands sticking out at odd angles. Winry had to fight the urge to fix it.

"Winry, what do you want?" Ed demanded grumpily, squinting at her through the light.

But again she said nothing. Instead she took his automail hand tightly with both of hers and brought it to her face. The metal numbed her warm hands. Ed flinched as she took it, but she did not allow him to pull away. She brushed her lips across the knuckles of this hand, feeling how cold it really was. It was like pure ice against her lips only perfectly smooth and sleek. Ed blushed terribly and blinked rapidly at her, suddenly very much awake. Any attempt to pull his arm away from her failed.

"W-Winry, don't. Stop that," He stammered.

Winry ignored him and ran her hands up his arm, reaching his shoulder and stopping there. Cold. It was all cold. The entire thing was ice. She stared into his face with an odd look and it made Ed squirm uncomfortably.

"You were in pain," Winry whispered, bowing her head suddenly. "You were clutching your arm in pain."

Ed looked startled by this information, eyes widening a bit and blush fading. Then he hurriedly looked away, narrowing his golden eyes at the carpet. Clearly he would offer no explanation. Winry stood and placed herself on the edge of the bed beside him, still firmly gripping his automail arm.

"Ed?"

"It's fine. Forget it," He mumbled when she moved.

"But--"

"I said forget it!"

Winry flinched as he yanked his hand away. She dropped her eyes to her lap, that certain question burning at the tip of her tongue. Ed seemed to sense it.

"Go back to your room, Winry. I'm not--"

"I'm scared of the storm!" Winry suddenly blurted out.

Ed blinked up at her. It took him a moment to understand and once he did he slowly shook his head.

"No."

"But I--"

"It was cute when we were five, but now its not acceptable."

Winry half glared, half pouted at him before sighing. "I'll leave... but only if... you let me hold your automail hand."

Ed turned to stare at her suspiciously. "Why?"

"Please?"

"No."

Winry looked startled by his blunt answer before glaring. "What's your problem! Why are you being such a jerk!"

"I'm _tired_!"

"That's not an excuse and you know it! Tell me what's wrong!"

Ed growled and crawled from the bed, taking the top blanket and a pillow with him.

"Where are you going?" Winry demanded angrily, standing up fast.

"You wanna sleep here? Sleep here. I'll be on the couch," Ed snapped nastily, throwing her a cruel glare over his shoulder.

Winry felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She couldn't understand why he was doing this, why he was acting this way.

"Why won't you touch me!" Winry suddenly cried loudly.

Ed's face changed so quickly it looked like two pictures had been switched. He choked and coughed on nothing, making some noise that was probably suppose to come out as a 'What?' or a 'Huh?' but instead sounded like he had choked again. Winry blushed furiously at her choice of words and suddenly grabbed the cold metal of his arm again, making him flinch.

"You never touch me with this hand," Winry rephrased quickly, voice suddenly a whisper. "Why?"

Ed made a face and looked away, eyes suddenly sad and distant. His long blonde bangs hid most of his face from her.

"Because," He replied softly. "It's my sin... always cold. And I'll be damned if I touch an angel with such a vile hand."


	3. all grown up : ed

**Silkspun Dreams III**

all grown up - ed

Ed had always been just Ed. Winry never looked at him past that. He wasn't even seen as a costumer to her, even if he only ever came to visit when he needed his automail fixed. When she looked at him, all she saw was Edward. Ed the scrawny young boy who was her close childhood friend and now had many demons tormenting his fragile mind. But Winry had only seen that fragile side of him once and that was when everything had begun to change. It became the time when suddenly Ed wasn't just Ed.

It had started normally enough. Ed had come for automail repair as usual. However Winry had to do a double take when he walked in when she noticed his hair fell around his face in a tangled mess. (Later Winry found out it was like this because he had somehow lost his hair tie on the train.) She had to fight the urge to comb her fingers through the golden locks and blushed when she noticed how handsome he looked like that... how wild and untamed. And that was with his clothes _on_. Clothing was a hindrance to automail maintenance. Even just rolling up a sleeve or a pant leg could cause problems. The shyer costumers were offered a free flowing robe if removing their clothing was absolutely necessary and usually it was. Yet it had never really been an issue with Ed. Wandering around her house shirtless or only in his boxers between maintenance was just something he did. That was just Ed.

But since Ed was suddenly no longer _just_ Ed, Winry found herself blushing like an idiot when he stripped down to his boxers and plopped lazily down on the couch, obviously weary from travel. He arched an eyebrow at her when he noticed the flush on her cheeks, but said nothing. Winry quickly went to work to distract her eyes, starting the repairs on his leg. But her eyes had plans of their own and continued to stray. She found herself constantly looking up at him, blushing furiously when he caught her a few times. It was very odd for Winry to suddenly discover her scrawny childhood friend was actually quite the looker. After so many years of Ed just being Ed only to have it abruptly turn around left Winry understandably dazed and confused. She was just beginning to notice so many things about him for the first time. Like how well built his chest and stomach were. Perfectly toned muscles underneath skin marred and turned rough by many scars. It instantly struck fear into her as her eyes lingered on a particularly nasty scar cutting across his chest. She suddenly had a strong urge to run her fingers tips across his muscles and scars.

"Your face is turning really red," Ed suddenly commented.

Winry lost her grip on the tool she was using and it crashed loudly to the floor, causing Ed to turn to her. He smirked in amusement as she quickly fumbled to pick it back up.

"Oi, what's with you?" He asked innocently, but he was still smirking.

Winry's eyes twitched. He was clearly teasing her and definitely wasn't as innocent as he had tried to sound. This surprised her a bit, considering she knew Ed to be pretty dense about these types of things. However given his smirk, he knew exactly what was going on and decided to only make things more difficult for her. She muttered something incoherent and went back to work. Ed just continued to grin and settled back, satisfied with his victory for now. He didn't let her be at peace for long, though, before he began to poke her with his flesh foot playfully before he took to rubbing his foot against her side, making her blush terribly and squirm. Not only did it tickle, but it felt kinda nice too. Whether Ed meant anything suggestive by his actions or not would never be determined. He was too busy being amused by her reaction to it to really think about it.

Although severally distracted, Winry managed to finish both his arm and leg within two hours. She fought with both Ed and her wandering eyes the entire time. She then stood, moving out of his reach quickly, and cleaned her hands on a rag already stained with oil.

"There, finished," She huffed, still a bit flustered and annoyed with his actions earlier. "That should hold you over for awhile, at least."

Winry turned to move away before he tried anything else, but apparently Ed wasn't done teasing her yet. He caught her wrist with his flesh hand before she could flee. He brought her hand to his face and kissed her finger tips gently, brushing is lips across all five fingers in a feather light kiss. His lips lingered on her soft skin a moment before he glanced up at her and smirked devilishly at how red her face had gone.

"Thanks."

He stood after this simple word and rubbed his lower back, a bit sore form sitting so long on the train ride and now on the couch. He then wandered away into his room where Al awaited, gathering his discarded clothes as he did. And Winry was merely left standing there in shock, face red and cradling the hand he had kissed against her heart.


	4. all grown up : winry

**Silkspun Dreams IV**

all grown up - winry

He couldn't remember how they had first become friends, he had known her for that long. His memories of her were always fond ones that made him smile stupidly at, what appeared to others, nothing. Only Winry could be both incredibly girlie and ridiculously tomboyish at the same time. She loved her dolls and playing dress up, yet taking apart anything mechanical and wrestling with Ed and Al were just as enjoyable. Edward could swear she would act girlie just to annoy him. Ed was her favorite toy, after all, as she would continuously place flower crowns on his head of clip barrettes in his hair just to giggle at his scowling face. Usually he had let her do it, too, just so long as Al or anyone else wasn't around to see it.

So the image of her engraved into his brain was always of the tomboy who could give some tough-as-nails boys a run for their money. Thus is made sense that Winry was just Winry. She was never a girl, she was a friend. She was never the opposite sex, a potential girlfriend, she was just a friend. But an adolescent male's mind can only think that way about an attractive female for so long and suddenly Winry lost her tomboy image. Now she was a woman who had grown nicely into perfect curves and a full chest. It embarrassed Ed to look at her that way and to rebuttal his thought he would often tell her how not cute and not sexy she was during the heat of one of their many arguments. She never really seemed to be phased by this, however, and merely continued the argument, brushing those irrelevant comments aside.

Ed had learned to keep thoughts and emotions buried underneath everything else. It was the only way he knew how to survive, to be honest. His inner demons that caused his mind such torment were, in truth, too much for even himself to handle, let alone someone else. So it was habit to act uncaring in the face of strong emotions such as love. Thus Winry didn't have a clue of his inner turmoil about her. She probably thought him dense and, well, he usually was in these types of cases. But not with Winry. He knew her so well that it was fairly easy to know what to do and what not to do. And sometimes he just couldn't resist doing something that was marked underneath the "what not to do" list just to irk her. He liked teasing her. He always had, but only recently had it become more of a way to flirt with her. Although Winry usually got the last laugh.

However through all of that the words 'I love Winry' never came up in his thoughts. That is, until one summer night. Edward had come for automail repairs and was going to leave the next day. But there had been some problems with his arm and he found himself there longer than he wanted to be. Being here made him anxious. After all, he hadn't returned here for four years for a reason. So he became restless one night. Too tortured by nightmares to sleep, Ed had left his room to take a stroll outside to clear his head. The air was warm but not uncomfortable and the sky was clear, revealing a full moon and twinkling stars. Ed had to admit, he did miss being able to see the stars when he was in the city. He found himself walking toward the giant tree near Winry's house, sitting on a hill. But as he approached it he discovered some one was already there.

Winry stood underneath the tree, apparently also having a case a insomnia. She wore a white night dress that flowed openly to her knees. The nightgown had thin straps and cut dangerously low in a 'V'. She stood with one hand on the tree's trunk, turned sideways slightly as her sapphire eyes gazed at something in the distance. A warm breeze blew her long blonde hair and the loose fabric of her nightgown to one side. Ed stopped several paces away and could only stare, breath catching in his throat at the sight of her. Surely the image of her etched into his head was wrong. She certainly wasn't that small tomboy with short hair and a dress always dirty with mud. No, Winry was well on her way to becoming a very beautiful woman and Ed had taken notice.

Ed watched her for a long time, keeping at a distance so that she wouldn't notice him. Then he went back inside after she did. He knew now for sure. Winry wasn't a friend. He was in love with her. But he knew it could never be. It wasn't fair to her. She deserved someone better...someone who didn't make her cry. In turn he did not deserve her. He was not worthy of feelings of affection and love. Regardless, the image of her standing there replaced the previous one engraved into his mind. It made him happy, made him smile and be at peace. He drifted into a calm sleep afterwards, dreaming of her.


	5. mother's day

_Dedicated to my friend who lost her mother on August 27, 2005. May her soul eventually heal and may her mother be welcomed into the arms of angels._

**Silkspun Dreams V**

mother's day

It was by far the saddest day of the year. The date that occurred shortly after it, a few years later, the second saddest. Ed couldn't help but feel some sort of weakness on that day stemming mostly from the fact that it made him so depressed in the first place. He knew it hurt Al. He would fall silent and rarely spoke that day unless it was positively unavoidable. Ed got use to it after four years and knew to leave him be. He preferred to be alone. The day always seemed to drag and Ed always looked forward to the morning sun because it meant it was finally over. He often stayed up all night that day, merely sitting there staring into the darkness and lost in memories of simple and happier times. Memories of her. Al was usually never present, so he brooded alone. But then when that next day came, everything went back to normal. Al spoke again and Ed shut out the memories and the pain behind a strong steel door. Between them the day had become a day of mourning. Not official by words, but by actions. To Ed it was a day he was allowed to remember and not feel guilty. Only to remember and, though rarely, talk as if she were listening. However over the four years, they had never spent Mother's Day in Resembool.

Somehow both brothers had taken comfort in the fact that they could remember her and yet not be near the places that were littered with her presences. Ed had forgotten all about it until that morning when he awoke late at the Rockbell house to find Al was gone. It was a beautiful day, although a bit on the warm side. However a strong wind blew every so often to counter the relentless heat. When it was almost one and Ed had still not descended the stairs, Winry got worried. She climbed the stairs after finishing lunch and paused by the brothers' door. She hesitated before knocking lightly.

"Ed? Are you awake?" She asked quietly.

There was a pause before a soft reply, "Yes."

Winry frowned. This certainly wasn't like him. She opened the door without warning and paused in the doorway. Ed was dressed and sitting on the edge of his bed, staring absently out the open window. The curtains blew in with every strong wind, ruffling his golden bangs.

"Are you all right?" She asked, stepping into the room a bit. "You never came downstairs..."

"I'm fine, Winry," Ed sighed.

"Did you and Al have a fight or something? He left earlier this morning without a word."

Ed shook his head and stood abruptly. "I'm going."

Winry blinked. "Going? Going where?"

"Out."

Ed discarded his red jacket, having put it on without thought only to realize it was much too warm for it. He strolled past Winry and out the door. Quickly Winry followed after him and paused at the top of the stairs to watch him walk down them slowly.

"Wait, I need to work on your arm!" Winry called. "I need to do it now before my other costumers begin to arrive."

Ed waved a hand at her, but that was his only reply. Winry huffed angrily and hurried down the stairs after him, passing him to block his path.

"Talk to me, you jerk!"

Ed gave her a hard look and there was something about it that made her face lift into an expression of surprise.

"Go away," Was all he said before he walked calmly past her, uncaring as to how his coldly spoken words had frozen her.

She heard the door slam and she felt tears begin to swell in her eyes. However her face looked angry and she clenched her fists at her sides, whirling away to stomp toward her workplace.

_Fine! What do I care! I hope he gets lost or something!_

"Winry."

Winry stopped halfway to the door and turned. Pinako stood calmly in the doorway of another room, arms bent behind her back and eyes closed thoughtfully.

"Grandma?"

"Do you know what today is?" The elder woman asked.

Winry's puzzled look made her grandmother sigh. "It's Mother's Day."

Any thought that had been stirring in Winry's head died and she looked positively shocked. Unlike the Elric brothers, her thoughts on any days that reminded her of her parents had been to forget them. It hurt less that way for her. Pinako knew it and had been kind in letting her granddaughter forget Mother's Day and Father's Day respectfully. It was no harm to her, really. Pinako opened her eyes to stare at Winry sadly.

"I'm sorry, I know you want to forget. It's easier for you that way. But those boys are different. They don't want to forget."

Winry dropped her eyes to the floor and a sad smile spread on her lips. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

"Hm?"

"Since I... Since I visited Mom and Dad."

Pinako watched Winry for a moment before she turned her back to her. "Yes. It has been awhile." And then she disappeared back into the room to continue working.

It was late evening when Winry left her workroom. She had gotten little next to nothing done on any projects, including Ed's new leg. She hated when she wasted a day. It made her feel frustrated. More than that, however, she had been in thought. Her mind was on so many things at once that it gave her a headache. She found herself remembering her parents. Her memories of them were a little faint, but she was over all surprised at what she could remember. They made her smile and cry at the same time. She realized it had been a long time since she had actually sat down and thought of her parents... remembered them. Now the last rays of the sun were beginning to fade and a beautiful sunset painted the clear sky. Ed and Al were still gone and Winry took it upon herself to find them. Naturally, the first place she went was the graveyard. She found Ed there, standing in front of her mother's grave. She approached behind him quietly, so not to startle him, and paused.

"I think its hard," Ed said after a long moment of silence. "to be here on this day. Everything here... the smell, the sounds, the sights... It's all what she was. It's all her."

Winry's face softened as she watched the back of Ed's head. She moved to stand beside him and turned her head to try and see his face. However he had skillfully hidden it behind his long bangs and all she could see was his lips drawn into a skillfully unemotional line. She looked away and her sapphire eyes turned downward to the gravestone. She read slowly over the name engraved in the stone as if trying to sound it out.

"It's hard for me, too..." Winry replied softly. "I've tried to forget everything about my parents to make the pain go away. I thought that... if I forgot... it would hurt less."

Ed lifted his head slightly and glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, watching her trying to keep her face steady.

"But then Pinako told me what today was," Winry continued when Ed did not reply. "It made me remember everything about them. It made me happy and sad at the same time."

Winry turned to face Ed, forcing a smile that was lost to tears escaping her eyes.

"I feel like a terrible daughter to them. How could I want to forget them? to be forgotten is worse than death... and to die and be forgotten... You might as well have not lived."

"Winry..."

Quickly she lifted a hand to her face to frantically brush away tears. "I'm sorry... I came here to make you feel better, but I..."

Ed shook his head to silence her before he offered her a small smile. "I'm the one whose sorry."

Winry gave him a inquiry look before Ed turned away. He took a step closer to his mother's grave and crouched down on one knee. Winry noticed for the first time a few flowers resting there and Ed picked them up.

"We're the same," Ed whispered. "We lost them both."

Ed stood and clapped his hands together on the flowers. There was a brilliant flash that made Winry look away. When she looked back up it was raining violet flower petals and the air smelled pleasantly sweet like a flower field. A wind carried the petals, swirling and dancing around Trisha's grave and the two teens standing before it. Then they danced away, carried toward the sinking sun. Winry watched them go, unsure of whether to smile or cry.

"She asked me to make her flowers before she died."

Winry turned at Ed's voice to find him looking up, head tilted back and arms hanging loosely at his sides. Winry smiled sadly and stepped up close beside him, slipping her hand into his flesh one and intertwining her fingers with his. She dropped her head to rest against his shoulder and she felt him turn his head to look at her. She would share this pain with him from now on. And now she understood.

As long as she remembered, her mother was never truly gone.

_**And you probably don't wanna her 'Tomorrow's another day'**_

_**But I promise you you'll see the sun again**_

_**And you're asking me why pain is the only way to happiness**_

_**And I promise you'll see the sun again**_

_**Yes, I promise you'll see the sun again**_


	6. precious treasure

Yes, I'm alive. Not that anyone still cares, but I don't blame them. So… here's a random drabble! I'm working My December still as well, so… Let's stop with the threatening reviews plzthnx.

**Silkspun Dreams VI**

precious treasure

The hot water felt wonderful as it ran down her skin. It caressed her back, rolled down her stomach and caused strands of lemon colored hair to cling to her face. She stood with her face tilted into the water shooting out from the shower head. It felt so nice on her tired muscles, slightly sore from last night's... events. She couldn't hide the smile that crossed her lips, not that she tried. After all, there was no one here to see it. Sighing, Winry moved her head and opened her eyes to find the shampoo. Lazily she squirted the lavender scented liquid into the palm of her hand. She had to squeeze a couple of times since the bottle was nearly empty. Satisfied with the amount she had gotten, she placed the bottle back in its holder on the wall and began to wash her hair. She massaged her scalp lazily as she rubbed the shampoo into her locks, eyes down cast to the water running into the drain.

She had woken up rather early and she didn't know why. She was still pretty tired yet she hadn't been able to go back to sleep. So Winry rolled over to the one sleeping beside her and watched as his chest rose and fell with his breathing. It was amazing how peaceful Edward's face was when he was asleep. Although she knew all to well that it was rarely that way. He was often plagued by nightmares caused by the anguish and the terrible memories of the past. Winry wondered if he would ever truly be rid of them. She hoped so. He didn't deserve anymore pains in his lie, that was for sure. Winry ran her hair under the water to rinse out the shampoo. She then went about with her washing before she shut off the water. She shivered at the suddenly freezing air and climbed out of the shower, locating her towel hanging on the wall. She dried herself slowly, staring at herself in the mirror but not really seeing her reflection. In truth she was just spacing out, running over the night she had experienced and the pain that would come next. He was leaving today. Instantly the smile that had formed was replaced with a frown. Just like his nightmares would never go away, neither would her concern for him. Sighing softly, Winry wrapped the towel around herself and fluffed her hair. The damp locks tangled and fell messily around her face and shoulders. She turned and left the bathroom, padding quietly back to her room and slipping inside. She leaned back against the door and turned her head to glance at the bed.

Ed was still sound asleep where she had left him and Winry was surprised. He was the early riser, not her. By now it had to be almost ten. Winry straightened and walked over to stand over him, peering down at his face. He slept on his side with his head on his pillow, long strands of spun gold he called hair fanning out on the white pillow case. The ends curled and the whole thing was messy. Strands stuck out at odd angles and his bangs hung all over his face, tangled when Winry had run her hands enthusiastically through them last night. His breathing was soft and even. Winry could hear it clearly in the near silent room. The white sheets were pulled up to his waist to hide the rest of his currently nude body underneath. The bedspread had been lost and was currently somewhere on the floor during all the earlier activity.

Winry could not turn her eyes away from his face and she got sleepy just watching him. He looked so... She reached down and gently swept the messy strands of his bangs out of his face to see it better. He didn't even stir at the touch, although his eyelids twitched. Winry wondered if he was really awake and just pretending to be asleep.

"Since when did you sleep so soundly?" She muttered, smoothing down his bangs to keep them from falling back into his eyes. "I should wake you up."

But she didn't. She just kept stroking his hair slowly and gently, treating him as if he would break. That was the way he had treated her last night. Come to think of it... It was the way he always treated her. Winry's hand slipped away from his hair and traveled a light path across his cheek and down the side of his neck. That got him to move. He stirred a bit and clutched at the pillow underneath his head, grumbling something that wasn't even a word. Winry smiled and moved her hand down to touch his flesh one, curling her fingers between his. She crawled back onto the bed and left her towel on the floor, slipping underneath the covers with her hand still intertwined with his. She pressed close against him, the heat of his body soothing her. Winry smiled as she tucked her head underneath his chin, kissing him softly a few times. Ed moved again and made some indistinguishable noise followed by her name. Oops. She hadn't wanted to wake him up.

Ed was still groggy as he blinked his eyes open only to squint at the sunlight filtering in through the window. "Nggh...?"

Winry released his hand and slipped her arm around his waist, lifting her other one to press her fingers lightly against his lips. "Sshh... I want to stay like this a little longer... before you leave..."

Ed blinked, eyes adjusting to the light. Then he frowned, now slightly more awake. Oh, right. He had to leave today, didn't he...? He had promised Al he would only be in Resembool a day and he couldn't leave his little brother waiting in Central alone for too long anyway. He had originally come for some quick repairs instead of bothering Winry to come all the way to Central, but... Well, he had arrived late and no automail maintenance had gotten done.

Ed flushed. "Actually... I need work done on my automail. That's kinda why I came."

"Mm. It worked just fine if you ask me."

"Winry!"

Winry lifted herself half way up to place a kiss against the corner of his mouth. "Shush..."

She managed to push him over on his back and settled her head on his chest, snuggling up close to him. Damp strands of hair clung to her back, shoulders and arm and some sprawled out across Edward's chest. She traced the muscles of his upper half in slow movements with a single finger, making them jump underneath her touch.

"Wiiinnrryyy..." Ed whined from somewhere on the pillow as she watched her finger make patterns on his skin.

"I'll get to it," Winry huffed, turning her head on his chest to look at him. "We never get time like this so let me enjoy it."

"That it is so not true... We need to be careful or--"

"I've taken the necessary precautions. I'm not stupid. Maybe you should too next time."

Edward flushed again. "You didn't give me any time!"

Winry smirked and buried her face against his chest, suddenly smiling like a child on her birthday. It wasn't like she could help it. Despite what Ed had said, it _had_ been a long while since they had gotten to make love or share a peaceful morning. She couldn't remember how long ago it had been since the last time she had felt his lips and hands on her skin. She had missed it so much. She brushed her lips against his chest, feeling the rough texture of a scar. He had so many. She hated everyone who had scarred such a beautiful body.

"Please just a little longer..." She whispered, lips still against that one scar.

There was a pause before she felt flesh fingers tangle themselves into her wet hair. Winry smiled and shifted again so that her head was resting with his on the same pillow. He gave her a look with those bright amber eyes peering at the world behind strands of hair. It was such a gentle and loving look that it made her heart beat faster in her chest. He always looked at her like she was the most beautiful thing in the world and it made her feel she felt really was. Winry brushed her hand through his hair and brought him closer to kiss him. He responded of course, wrapping his arms around her to bring her even closer.

There were many things Winry cherished in this world, but Ed was so much more. He was her precious treasure, a diamond in the rough... and as long as he allowed her to, she would always stay right beside him.


End file.
